EGEC welcoming the result of the ITRE vote on renewables and energy efficiency

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PUBLISHED: November 28, 2017

On November 28th, the ITRE committee of the European Parliament voted on the reports for the recast Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive, strongly backing up a 35% target for renewables and 40% energy efficiency in 2030, a minimal threshold for consistency with the Paris Agreement. The geothermal sector supports MEP Blanco Lopez report on the Renewable Energy Directive adopted today and welcomes the high ambition on energy efficiency.
“The level of ambition shown by the Parliament on renewables and efficiency is good, but is only a minimum threshold to stay consistent with the Paris Agreement” says Philippe Dumas, EGEC secretary general.

The Parliamentary committee built on the proposals of the European Commission and, with the vote, delivered an adequate level of ambition. The Energy Efficiency Directive report has been amended to include a 40% energy efficiency target to 2030, with national binding targets and strong provisions on energy savings obligations. The report on the recast Renewable Energy Directive provides with a 35% renewable energy target to 2030 with national targets, and good provisions on support schemes and renewables for heating and cooling. However, some flexibilities on target completion for Member States adopted by the Committee might undermine the ambition of the report. The rapporteurs for both files will now have to defend the provisions voted upon in the Committee to the European Council – which has not proven to be up to the challenge thus far.